Sports Lottery sales accounted for the majority of revenue, rising 5.8% YoY to CNY21.90bn. This growth has been consistent for the past seven months. On the other hand, the Welfare Lottery contributed CNY13.95bn to the total revenue but experienced a decline of 10.9%. Out of the sports lottery revenue, CNY10.58bn was generated through sports betting, decreasing by 7.4% compared to 2019. Sports lottery draw games, however, witnessed a significant increase of 15.7%, adding CNY9.64bn to the total. Instant win games also performed well, contributing CNY1.69bn, a 77.9% increase. Video lottery terminals, on the other hand, saw a decline of 65.0%, generating only CNY70,000 in revenue.
In the case of the Welfare Lottery, CNY12.14bn was generated through draw games, reflecting a 10.5% YoY growth. Instant win games also experienced positive growth of 13.7%, contributing CNY1.80bn. Keno, however, declined by 4.3% and added only CNY14.3m to the total revenue. It is worth noting that video welfare lottery sales were suspended in September, as they were in February, March, April, and August. This suspension removed a significant revenue source that amounted to CNY31.09bn in 2019.
As of now, the year-to-date lottery sales stand at CNY225.16bn, with almost half of this total being generated in the last three months. However, this figure remains 21.7% lower than that of 2019. This decline can be attributed to the low sales in February and March due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The sales in April and May also continued to be lower as China dealt with the effects of the pandemic.
